Biodiversidade e dinâmica estrutural de assembleias de esponjas marinhas (Filo Porifera) da Ilha Grande e cercanias, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Abstract

Marine sponge community studies are scarce in Brazil and this is a pioneering study in this approach on Ilha Grande RJ, a high diversity region. The structure of marine sponges assemblages and sessile marine benthic organisms was evaluated from diversity descriptors index in six sites of Ilha Grande and nearby islands, three in continental side and three on oceanic side. Assemblages were compared between sides and depths counting number of individuals and its coverage area by photo-quadrats method. At the same time, the sponges were collected, fixed and, in lab, identified through specialized methodology and literature. There was a total of 5.457, representing Class Demospongiae and Calcarea, distributed in 41 species and nine morphotypes (50 possible species) with greater diversity to Lagoa Azul on the inside and lower for Parnaióca, outside, while Ilha do Abraão had the greatest richness. Among the identified species, four dominated more than 50% of the total and 26 did not reach even 5% of total abundance. General linear model (GLM) on ANOVA highlighted significant difference only between depths with different substrates (F=2.79; p<0.04), while side (F=2.23; p>0.16) and the interaction between factors did not have differences (F=117; p>0.38). Ordination multivariate analyses, Cluster and MDS, distinguished four sponge assemblages: 1) four sites with unconsolidated substrate; 2) Lagoa Azul with unconsolidated substrate; 3) oceanic sites with hard substratum; 4) continental sites with hard substrate. For the community, 49 species were found and Phylum Porifera was the highest specific representation, despite macroalgae have formed the most abundant group. Encrusting calcareous algae, turf algae, sponge Iotrochotaarenosa, exclusive of the continental side and zoanthid Palythoacaribaeorum added approximately 50% of the benthic cover in all sites. The sides were significantly different with highest richness, diversity and evenness for oceanic side while continental had more abundance of species, most probably due to fewer dominant species. Moreover, greater heterogeneity of habitats may promote increased diversity. The 15 new species now recorded which three are new for science and 12 represent new species or genus records for Ilha Grande Bay revealing this area as one of the highest diverse area in marine sponges from Brazil, despite the low knowlegment. Furthermore, this result implies the need to increase the preservation of the rocky shores of the region and shows that a quick survey of the number of species and their abundance is sufficient to manage a conservation area